They say the bad experiences in life can be the best life lessons out there. For some of us, like myself, having a bad job experience has also been one of my greatest learnings.
This experience has taught me a big lesson on what is a “heck yes” when it comes to a company and a “heck no”. I learned that it all steams down to the company’s mission, culture, DNA, essence, and how this is consistent internally and externally.
After I ran into the fire and got burnt, I now know what red flags to look out for in the hiring process when it comes to company culture. Creating an inspiring company culture is important for current and future talent. Culture must transcend from the essence, mission statement, the inner world of a company, and how it’s marketed externally towards others.
This article will talk about what is important to me to create an inspiring company culture. I would also love to hear from you, the reader, what work culture inspires you. We all have different needs when it comes to a work environment. Feel free to start a conversation with me, you can find me on LinkedIn.
The first step is understanding what your company needs and finding the right talent with the same conditions. Past job experiences (good and bad) have taught me what I need for a healthy conducive and inspiring work-life.
For me, these are the keys when it comes to creating an inspiring company culture:
Transparency
Transparency is extremely important for me. Open communication begins at the very start of the hiring process. You want to be consistent in your messaging when attracting talent. All messaging from recruitment marketing ads to emails should be consistent. This is extremely important when creating a solid Talent Attraction strategy. Companies must communicate consistently throughout the entire hiring process the employment conditions.
Sometimes, it can be hard for candidates to share their needs during the hiring process. However, candidates should take note that communicating their needs with your company is important.
A company should also be transparent in what they can offer, such as certain benefits, culture, salary, remote working, etc. It goes both ways and communicating openly, especially at the start of the hiring process will establish a great foundation for new talent.
Therefore, as a hiring manager or recruiter, it’s your job to create a safe space for candidates to feel secure. When candidates are secure, they will openly communicate their needs. You will eliminate any resentment if you are clear and transparent with current and future talent.
I would also suggest implementing an open feedback system. Open feedback frameworks empower employees, to be honest. Honesty and transparency will enable employees to do their best.
Clear expectations
I have been at a company that didn’t set clear expectations. Frustration arose for me because I wasn’t sure that the work I was doing was meaningful.
I’ve learned that some businesses want to get things done but forget to get quality work done. It’s important not to forget that quality matters over quantity. If employees are pushing out tons of work but it doesn’t align with the company’s core goals and doesn’t have an impact or add value, this can cause a lot of insecurity.
I had an incident where I was getting things done, but I didn’t feel like this work I was doing had a purpose. Since there was a lack of clear expectations, goals, and KPIs, I didn’t feel confident in my projects. Personally, for me, when there is a lack of clarity, I start to feel insecure.
Set clear expectations from management and ensure it is aligned consistently with every employee to avoid doubt. Doubt leads to non-productivity, and this is what you want to avoid.
Trust
“Trust is earned in the smallest of moments. It is earned not through heroic deeds, or even highly visible actions, but through paying attention, listening, and gestures of genuine care and connection.” – Brene Brown
Trust in any relationship of your life is important. Considering we are in a work environment for a large portion of our week, it’s crucial to establish trust between managers and employees. Trust aligns with transparency and clear expectations because you create an environment where your employees feel psychologically safe to express their needs.
Trust allows your employees to feel safe and that they belong at the company. Your organization will flourish if there is a strong sense of trust in the company. When trust is not implemented, unnecessary conflict will arise at your company.
Investing in your talent
Learning and development are highly important if you want to empower your employees. 87% of millennials say that personal development, career opportunities, and mapping out their development at a company are important. Like me, I crave learning and becoming a better human. Daily, I am trying to understand myself and constantly grow.
A company that encourages this and has a plan for my development shows me that I am worthy. It also shows me that the company actually cares about my career growth and future. That is why you need to invest in your talent, especially if you also want to keep them.
Compelling vision
A vision statement is the heart of a company. It’s why it exists, which makes work more meaningful. Your employees should understand the essence of the work that they are doing. Employees should work with passion and purpose. The mission statement is at the core of the culture and brand.
It’s important for multiple reasons:
- First-principles of decision making.
- Aligns people inside the company.
- Stability and trust.
- This empowers your employees. Employees are the best brand ambassadors.
- Showcase your brand and culture to attract top talent.
- This will allow you to retain and attract the right people.
- This creates high-performing teams.
Celebrating the wins
Sometimes it is easy to forget to celebrate the wins at work, especially the little victories. Celebrating even the smallest successes allows your team to feel gratitude and encourages them to continue doing purposeful work.
Here at Wonderkind, we celebrate the wins we had that day. We also have a gong that we hit after completing a sale and or upsell. It allows us to appreciate the work we’ve done and creates a positive experience. By practicing recognition, your employee’s morale and engagement will improve.
When employees are happy and feel seen by a company, they will continue to produce positive results that positively impact your company. We, as humans, react positively to praise and acknowledgment. We want to be seen. Acknowledging the small wins as well as the big ones will give your employees a sense of belonging. A sense of belonging enables your company to grow.
Activities and rituals
Rituals and activities help boost value at a company. It also brings your employees together. When a company is celebrating together, you are evoking positive emotions. Be mindful of the feelings that your employees encompass.
Events such as the end of the year party, brainstorm dinner, and Friday drinks increase employee engagement. When milestones are reached, and you celebrate, you acknowledge the big wins and celebrate together as a team. Team events will leave a positive memory in your employee’s minds that encourage positive morale and engagement.
Consistency and fairness
Employees should all be treated with the same amount of respect and fairness even when companies have a hierarchy. However, it’s important to note that anyone that comes into your life is a teacher. If you view yourself and others as equals, you will learn immensely, even with a hierarchy. When you empower your employees, they will be safe since the flow of life at the company is aligned internally and externally. Consistency and fairness create a stable foundation for your employees to thrive.
The inner world of a company should match the way they externally communicate themselves to the world. There should be consistency between the mission, culture, how the company markets itself to its employees and the world. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to be consistent and fair at a company.
I learned this the hard way. I applied and took a job at a company to find that their inner world didn’t match their outer world. I was extremely disappointed. It was not communicated to me during the hiring process what the company’s inner workings really looked like. Once I joined the company, I saw how toxic the environment was. There was no consistency between the mission, brand, and culture. I decided to quit after three weeks of working there. I decided that my happiness was more important than a job. It went against my integrity to be working at a company that wasn’t honest and consistent with their communication.
When preparations meet the opportunity that is what Oprah Winfrey calls luck. By quitting this job, I made space for something new and better. I was in the hiring process at Wonderkind. Nothing was certain yet.
However, I was able to put my time and energy into the hiring process. A few weeks later, I got the job. My work life has made a 180 shift from where it used to be. I am extremely grateful for this life lesson as now I am in a position that I love.
The time is now to empower your employees.
Creating an inspiring company culture begins at the Talent Attraction phase. If you are looking for ways to optimize how you source for top-notch talent check out how Wonderkind works or see it in action.
Facebook advertising is a key part of a recruitment marketing strategy because it helps get your company in front of a wide pool of candidates. Especially quality candidates who aren’t actively using the standard job boards.
Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.
